Page 120 of Vicious Little Snakes

“How did we get here, Liam?”—he motions between us—“To this place where your father isn’t a call you’d make when you’re in trouble.”

I don’t look at him, letting my head hang heavy in thought. Words have never been more important than in this moment. The fucking irony of that—needing him to understand me, but not knowing how to explain myself.Damn, I thought I was past this.

As I stare at the concrete, wondering how I’m going to say anything and everything, a grin grows on my face because I suddenly remember a piece of advice he gave me as a kid.

“Say what you mean and mean what you say. There are never any right words for the truth. Only the true ones.”

I laugh, lifting my eyes to his. Maybe he’s not so removed as my hero, after all.

“We’re here because you forgot you trust me.”

His cheeks fill with air before he blows it out, but I don’t stop talking.

“My life is my own. My legacy is for me to leave. Dad, you forgot that you could trust me with our last name. I’m never going to disappoint you because you raised me to be a leader, and now it’s my turn to decide where the Brooks name goes.”

His hand lands on my shoulder as he nods, jaw tensed.

“I just bailed you out of jail, Liam.”

“Yeah. You did.”

I chuckle as he clears his throat again. I swear if I didn’t know Tucker better, I’d say he’s trying not to get emotional. His free hand falls heavy onto my other shoulder.

“You skipped school for almost two weeks, doing God knows what. Making your mother worry.”

“Yep. I did that too.”

We’re staring at one another as he says, “You walked away from Harvard, son. From the place I made for you and your grandfathers before that.”

I let out a frustrated breath, stepping back out of his grasp.

“Fuck.” His eyes grow wide as my hands smack together. “Yes. All of those things are true, Dad. But you’re not asking the questions.”

His arms cross over his chest, brows arching.

“And what should those be, Liam? What am I missing? Because I’m trying here, son.”

My hand rubs over my head as I speak.

“Ask me why I skipped school—because I’ll tell you it was because I was a coward. I was bogged down by all the responsibilities of who I thought I should be that I forgot it was all mine to decide. I decide who I am, not who I am based on you, or Mom, or my friends. Knowing I was a coward makes it so I’ll never be one again. I needed to get lost to find myself—as cheesy as that sounds.”

He opens his mouth, but I shake my head. “Ask me why I got arrested. It was because I finally figured out what I had to say—which was that I love Caroline. The tagging started with me trying to figure out my place in the world. But that’s the thing, she is my world. And I would’ve never gotten the courage to tell her that if I hadn’t tagged up a hundred walls with her lips. She’s kissed this whole damn city.”

I laugh, tipping my head to the sky and back to him. “Because when I was stripped of everything—the Columbia program I wanted, your respect, my friends, even my own backbone… She’s the one fucking thing that stuck. Being out here taught me that all the other things fall into place as long I know mine is with her. So I wouldn’t do any of this differently or apologize for finding my way.”

He looks down, running his hands through his salt and pepper hair as some people pass between us. I step in closer as they clear.

“Now, ask me why I walked away from Harvard.”

I’ve never been more ready to be my own man. To not ask for permission or even his respect.

“No,” he breathes as he lifts his head.

I frown with a deep pull of my brows.

“No? Are you even making an effort to hear me?”

He smiles. Actually fucking smiles.